1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flat panel display device, and more particularly, to a two-sided emission Organic ElectroLuminescent Display (OELD) panel support and to an OELD device including the support.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, flat panel display devices such as OELD devices or Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) devices include a flat display panel for implementing an image, a driving circuit for driving the flat display panel, and a Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC) for connecting the driving circuit to the flat display panel.
The flat display panel includes a substrate on which a display element is arranged in an image display unit, an encapsulation substrate arranged to face the substrate and encapsulating the display element, and a sealing member such as a sealant for sealing the substrate and the encapsulation substrate.
The substrate is generally a glass substrate, a plastic substrate, or a metallic substrate, and a support member for supporting the substrate is needed.
Korean Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2004-0063614 discloses a support structure for supporting a liquid crystal module used as a flat panel display device, that is, a support structure for supporting different types of liquid crystal modules using one bracket.
In general, an OELD device is a self-emission device which includes upper and lower electrodes and an emission layer interposed between the upper and lower electrodes and in which light is emitted from the emission layer according to voltages supplied to the upper and lower electrodes, thereby displaying an image.
Electroluminescent display devices are classified as inorganic electroluminescent display devices, in which an emission layer interposed between the upper and lower electrodes is formed of an inorganic material, and OELD devices, in which an emission layer interposed between the upper and lower electrodes is formed of an organic material. The OELD devices have excellent characteristics such as wide view-angle, fast response speed and high contrast and thus, are considered to be the next-generation of flat panel display devices.
OELD devices are classified as high molecular OELD devices in which an emission layer is formed of a high molecular material, and low molecular OELD devices in which an emission layer is formed of a low molecular material, according to organic materials.
OELDs are also classified according to a path on which light is emitted from the emission layer including: a rear emission OELD device in which light is emitted from an emission layer in a direction of a substrate, a front emission OELD device in which light is emitted from an emission layer toward an encapsulation substrate which is in an opposite direction to the substrate, and a two-sided emission OELD device in which light is emitted from an emission layer towards both a substrate and an encapsulation substrate.
In the two-sided emission OELD device, since light is emitted from the emission layer towards both the substrate and the encapsulation substrate, an OELD panel support is needed that does not interfere with an emission path of light emitted from the emission layer.